This invention relates to an apparatus for pressing a single of plurality of plate-type structures in combination with a means for shifting a single or plurality of plate-type structures.
There are a variety of apparatuses used for pressing plate-type structures as well as a variety of plate-type structures in different industries. For example, in the chlor-alkali industry, an apparatus referred to herein as a "squeezer apparatus" is used for compressing together a single or plurality of flat plate-type electrode frame members of the monopolar or bipolar type to form an electrolysis cell or electrolyzer for producing chlorine and an alkali metal hydroxide such as sodium hydroxide.
In the filtration industry, a plate-type pressure apparatus is used to compress together a plurality of filter press-type frame structures for use in separating solids from a slurry or mixtures of solids and liquid by means of a permeable filter media.
In the molding industry, plate-type structures are compressed or squeezed together to form a series of plate-type chambers such that a moldable fluid can be injected into the chambers to form molded products.
In any of the above processes, routinely, when maintenance is required on a particular faulty plate-type structure, each structure must be pulled apart and shifted manually or mechanically in order to reach the faulty structure. Shifting each structure requires considerable shutdown time especially when the number of structures per squeezer apparatus is increased. In addition, when each structure has to be shifted individually, the structures not requiring maintenance and their internal parts such as gaskets, may be damaged or disturbed to the extent that, when the plate-type structures are re-compressed, an original alignment is not reproducible resulting in leakage between structures and eventual operation shutdown.
Until now, there has been no satisfactory means of pulling apart or shifting multiple plate-type structures within an apparatus for pressing the structures once the plate-type structures have been compressed together.
It is therefore desired to provide an apparatus for pressing together plate-type structures in combination with a device for shifting an individual or multiple plate-type structures.